A Struggle for a Ring — page 82: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

78 AN OLD MAN CHEERED. modated: with the best room at the Rudeswell Arms, Alice looked timidly in her husband’s face. ‘Have you been very much annoyed?” she said. ‘‘I have been quite afraid to look at you—it was all so dread- ful. I know it, yet I cannot feel ashamed of them; they are all my own people. It must have seemed. so strange to you.” , ‘<Tt was a phase in life,” he replied. ‘‘I may say, can- didly, that I should not like too much of it. But, Ailie, your father is an honest man, and he has had great diffi- culties, ” He never forgot the beautiful light that came over her face. ‘Do you really think, Vivian,” she asked, ‘‘that you will be able to tolerate them? I am so thankful. I thought you would hate them all, and that, hating them, you would dislike me.” ‘‘T could never dislike you, Ailie. I tell you quite frankly, dear, I should not care to see very much of your family ; but that is not likely to happen.” ‘You will tolerate them,” she said, ‘‘but never like them’ really ?” | ‘‘T shall never give you any reason for saying so,” said the young husband, while to himself he admitted that between his friends and hers the difference was so great they might almost belong to different worlds. That same evening it was all over Rudeswell that John Derwent's eldest daughter had married a gentleman, whom she‘had first met in Germany, and that they were staying at the Rudeswell Arms, While, that same evening, John Derwent was so elated that he wrote to the doctor. ‘‘T know you have never liked me, Doctor Wallis,” his letter ran; ‘‘and perhaps you are right. I could not keep ? SU a Ke com comicbooks . € “ o aX Py,